The Simple Life
by Bailee Rose
Summary: Because he didn't know where he was supposed to go. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. But he did know one thing; he did not want any more adventure. He wanted the simple life. And if Mikasa was attaining that, perhaps the best way for him to get it too was to be with her.
1. Chapter 1

It honestly didn't take as long as he had assumed it would.

A "Titan Cure" as they were calling it. Hange had developed it, tested it, approved it, and just like that it was being mass-produced. Small stun-guns equipped with ten cure darts, much like tranquilizing darts, were being handed out in the streets like candy on Coronation Day. Each citizen could take as many as they wanted, not like they needed much considering one dart hits anywhere on a titan and the titan is instantly transformed back to a human permanently.

It wasn't so hard for two solitary soldiers to infiltrate Liberio and shoot the cure into the remaining warrior titans there, permanently losing those abilities forever. It also wasn't hard to administer the cure to the warrior titans on our side considering Yeager's short lifespan should he keep his titan. And Arlert never wanted his titan in the first place.

And yes, Marley was mad, but there wasn't much they could do besides sending out mindless pure tians that would soon be turned back into humans upon reaching the well-armed citizens here. It really was pointless for war to continue and as such it all just stopped.

It really didn't take as long as he had assumed it would.

And for the first time in so so long, Levi didn't really know where to go from here. Didn't know where he belonged or what he had to do.

Hange wouldn't let him stay in the military, wouldn't let anyone stay really. It was unnecessary and the few she kept on as precaution were younger and had opportunity to cycle out. But the veterans Hange wasn't allowing to stay. Her sick way of giving them the lives she thought they deserved.

And so he finds himself on the roof, staring at the vast sky when he hears voices drifting up to him. He's not intending to eavesdrop on Yeager, Ackerman, and Arlert's conversation but he doesn't particularly feel like leaving either.

"House by the ocean! Or beyond the ocean! Or even a really big boat with beds and we could live ON the ocean!" Arlert was excited.

"Yea" Yeager replied, "Far away from here. Anywhere and everywhere but here. Think of all the places we can explore and discover."

"Endless adventure and learning." Arlert sounded awed and satisfied.

"Why so quiet Mikasa?" Yeager voicing what Levi was thinking.

"I'm trying to figure out the best way to tell you that I won't be coming." She's simple and to the point.

"What? Of course you are!" Yeager argues back at her. "We got through this together! Do you know how unlikely that was?! Of course we are staying together!"

Silence.

"Mikasa..." Arlert's gentle voice says, "Everything we've been through has been for this. This is what you wanted. You'll be happy with us, like it was before."

"I wanted you two safe. I wanted you two to survive. I achieved what I wanted." She responded calmly. "And now, I want a simple life. No adventure or exploring. A simple house and a simple job. Waking up the same place every day with nothing to do for the foreseeable future."

"Mika-"

"I've already thought a lot about this Armin. It's what I want."

"Then fine!" Yeager shouts, "Okay fine. We take turns. We'll settle for a few months, then we'll explore for a little bit, then we'll settle and so forth. Come on, Mikasa! We can make this work! We're family! Family sticks together!"

"I love you both so much." She states, still in her calm tone. "So much it hurts sometimes. I don't want to live without you, but I don't want to stop you from living your dream even more. I'm happy knowing you're happy. I'll be okay and you'll be okay. My mind is made up. Tomorrow we say goodbye."

Levi can hear sniffles. He's sure Yeager or Arlert is crying.

"We love you so much too Mikasa!" Yeager shouts.

"We owe you everything!" Arlert adds, "You're our sister in every way! We'll miss you every second of every day!" And Levi hears a scuffle and more sniffling and he's sure he's intruded on a special moment. He peers over the roof to the balcony below to see all three of them embracing with their eyes closed, tears streaming down every face.

He turns away from the sight and has an idea.

Because he didn't know where he was supposed to go. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. But he did know one thing; he did not want any more adventure. He wanted the simple life. And if Mikasa was attaining that, perhaps the best way for him to get it too was to be with her.


	2. Chapter 2

And so the next morning finds him packed up with all his belongings in his pack on his back. He hangs a little ways back as he sees the soldiers setting off for their new lives as free people. Everyone is saying goodbye. Everyone hopeful but emotional nonetheless.

Hange had already given him an enthusiastic, "Go live the best life ever!" There was no one else to have last words with.

Ackerman gives final goodbyes to her boys and watches them go on horseback. She's still until they are out of site then she tightens the bag on her own back and sets off on foot.

It's now or never.

Levi quickly follows her, catching up in no time. She stops and looks back at him, a silent question communicated between them. A beat of silence. Then Levi anticlimactically lifts his shoulders in a poor imitation of a nonchalant shrug.

It's his way of asking to go with her. And for someone as clever as her she understands it perfectly. Her response is a head tilt to the road ahead. And for someone as clever as him he understood it perfectly.

She was giving him permission to come with.

After a long while of walking in comfortable silence, they come across a small village.

It's got a cute enough main street with a few shops. Some buildings are empty, others have signs like "Closed Permanently." and look as though they were abandoned in a rush. The townspeople are a little older and it doesn't take long for Levi to guess that with the war over the younger crowd has left to see the world.

They stumble upon a tea shop with the sign "Grand Closing. Everything must go." Ackerman leads them inside.

Its more bustling than the small town street let on. Levi wouldn't be surprised if this was the local hangout. Ackerman walks right up to the counter and starts up polite conversation with the woman behind it.

He hears them talk about how the elderly woman and her husband have owned this tea shop for forever, lived in this town forever. But now they are packing up and seeing the rest of world. What doesn't get picked up by the townspeople will be abandoned.

"Quite convenient." Ackerman replies charismatically, "As I happen to be in the market for a job."

The woman behind the counter beams. She calls her husband from the back and introduces him.

"I'm Mikasa." She replies, and Levi realizes he should probably start thinking of her as Mikasa as well, if he's going to make a life with her after all. "And his is Levi." She motions to him.

Because Levi can be polite when he deems it appropriate, he sticks his hand out to shake with the man and gives a short, "Pleasure."

"Don't let his silence fool you, he's quite the tea-snob." Mikasa banters. Levi has never seen this aspect of Mikasa's personality before. He's quite grateful considering he's still floundering at the concept of living his life.

He's a silent observer as Mikasa charms the old couple. They give her the teashop and their home. It's overly generous but at the same time they're right when they tell her, "We're leaving it all behind. You don't know how grateful we are that someone wants to continue our life's work!"

And so an arrangement is made. The "Grand Closing. Everything must go." sign is taken down. The patrons of the shop cheer. Mikasa and Levi are taken to the elderly couple's humble home. The couple will show them all the ins-and-outs of their teashop and the business tomorrow. And after tomorrow they leave for good and it's up to Mikasa and Levi to sink or swim.

The woman makes a wonderful dinner and apologizes that Mikasa and Levi have to stay in the small guest bedroom. But its more generous than what Mikasa or Levi ever could've hoped for and Mikasa tells them as much.

Mikasa and Levi retire for the night. They change into their night clothes facing back-to-back as there is no bathroom attached to the guest bedroom. Mikasa gets in bed.

"You can leave the light on, I don't mind." She tells him.

"What?" He responds. He can't imagine after all she's been through that she's scared of the dark.

"I know you don't sleep much. If you want to read or do something with the light on that's alright with me. And you don't need to worry about waking me either when you finally join me to go to sleep."

Levi is surprised. Surprised she knew about his sleeping habits. Even more surprised her politeness to him regarding the issue. And the most surprised how she casually addressed them sleeping together and didn't even bat an eyelash, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe to her it was.

"I'm pretty tired now actually. When I wake in a few hours I'll try to disturb you as little as possible." He tells her as he gets in the other side of the bed and faces away from her, willing his body to relax.

"Roger that." She says sleepily.

And he smirks as he drifts off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

He suddenly wakes up from a small clattering sound. His arms and body tighten, he's ready for anything.

"It just the couple making breakfast downstairs." Mikasa quietly tells him.

He slowly relaxes and takes in his surroundings. He's on the bed, Mikasa is tightly in his arms, her back pressed warmly against his chest. There's sunlight coming in through the window. It must be morning.

"They've been making breakfast for the last ten minutes." She says, sounding amused that he had only just woken now.

"You drugged me." It's the only logical explanation for why he slept as deep and long as he did.

"I did not." Her simple reply.

A breath. He realizes she's still trapped within his arms. He slowly releases her. She calmly gets out of bed, and starts to change with her back to him. So he gets out of bed and does the same.

They go down to breakfast and it's much the same as the day before with Mikasa doing all the talking and him just vocalizing when politely appropriate.

The couple explain the two jobs they do in regards to the tea shop; the woman works the shop while the man works in the garden and attached field. The woman says for Mikasa to shadow her while Levi goes with her husband into the fields.

"Actually, Levi will be manning the shop and I'll be tending the herbs." Mikasa states.

The woman is a bit surprised, but gives a curt, "Okay then. Levi, you're with me." And she gets up and motions for Levi to follow her.

He's also a bit surprised, why would Mikasa volunteer him for the more people-interaction facet of this job when it's been her doing all the interacting with people thus far in their journey? Did she not trust him to learn how to garden properly? True he never took care of plants before- growing up in the underground and having more important things to do with his time once he was on the surface- but he's smart and a fast learner. He shoots her a puzzled look over his shoulder and sees her giving back a slight wave, and then he's gone. Out the door and making his way with the woman down the walking path to town to learn how to run a tea shop.

Which is surprisingly easy. He likes tea. And he likes organization possibly even more. Maybe Mikasa knew this kind of work would agree with him. And the people are all very kind and polite too. It would seem most of the tea shop patrons are regulars as all know the woman by name and ask how her husband is, and when she is leaving, and so on.

Around noon the woman addresses what Levi has been wondering since meeting them yesterday.

"We all know who you two are, of course." Levi is suddenly tense. He doesn't do well with people treating him like a celebrity just because he is efficient at slaughtering.

"You two really picked the right town. While everyone here is grateful for everything you've done, no one's much of a military-idolizer. You both will remain unbothered here." She says it calmly, but something in her tone when she says 'military-idolizer' makes him curious.

"Did many people from these parts enlist?" He asks.

The woman's lips tighten as she nods her head.

"I'm sorry for your losses." He says. There's not much else to say. During the war you justify every death as the reason you've made it as far as you have, but somehow saying that to this woman doesn't feel right.

"Many people, my son included, just wanted to make a difference. Who knows what their sacrifice was for. But here we accept the wishes of others and support them, we don't stand in their way."

Hearing she lost her son is sad. No child should predecease their parent. But it was a cruel world then and left many parents child-less. She wasn't the first parent he'd known to lose a child, but he was finding himself hoping that maybe she would be the last now that the war was over.

"Anyways," The woman brought herself out of her short grief, "This town respects you both. Possibly Mikasa Ackerman even more considering her evacuation of the citizens way back during the Trost breach. She was a local hero back then, standing up to thugs and greedy merchants to make sure everyone got through the gate safely. Many people here owed her thanks. But she won't be bothered now, neither of you will be. The remaining townspeople are here because they like the quiet life, everyone else has moved on."

The day continues on with Levi taking the front and filling orders and keeping things organized. Mikasa and the man arrive mid-afternoon. She carries with her a large satchel, presumably full of herbs and spices she harvested earlier.

As the man leads her into the back and she passes behind Levi she gives him a small smile and a quick shoulder squeeze. Then they're in the back and the man is showing her the stores and containers. Levi and the woman join them and give a report on the day; what sold well, what herbs they are out of and need more of, etc. Mikasa nods, making her mental note for her haul for the next day.

She makes two teas for the man and woman and urges them to go socialize with their friends before they leave.

The last few hours of the work day Mikasa and Levi work in sync. Filling orders, making tea, interacting politely with customers. Levi can't deny its easy work and they've picked it up seamlessly.

When the last patrons leave the couple makes their way to them and tells them its time to head home. Levi closes up shop and they all trek home contentedly.

Mikasa makes everyone dinner that night as a thank you to the couple for all they've done. It's a homely affair and Levi can't help but think he's chosen the right path when he decided to follow her.

The couple insists on doing the dishes since Mikasa cooks and they all say their goodbyes, knowing the couple is leaving early the next morning and won't be coming back.

In bed that night, drifting to sleep, Levi can hear the couple talking quietly through the open window. They must be sitting outside, he thinks. They talk about how Mikasa and Levi will do just fine, how happy they are they were able to give their home and their work away. Then, they start talking about the ocean and Levi tunes them out. His last thought before falling asleep is how the couple had lived so long with routine and mundane and now in their old age they want adventure, yet he never wants adventure again.


	4. Chapter 4

Like the night before, Levi wakes with morning sunlight in the room and Mikasa in his arms. He tries to keep very still as not to wake her.

"They left a few hours ago." Ah, so she's already awake. Just like the morning before, Levi is mystified how he could've slept through the sounds of the couple leaving.

"Have you been awake long?" He asks instead.

"Don't know."

"Why didn't you get up?"

"Didn't want to wake you." He has nothing to say to that so after not getting a response, she continues, "Besides, you've got a lot of sleep to catch up on, and I'm enjoying the novelty of waking up without any worry or task ahead. It's quite strange, but not unpleasant, to just lie in bed and have nowhere to be and nothing pressing to do."

Levi closes his eyes again and tries to relax back into his previous state. Breathe in, breathe out. He could just lie here forever if he wanted, and that would be completely fine. The thought is just as Mikasa had said, strange but not unpleasant at all. In fact, Levi couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so utterly at ease.

Mikasa shifts a little and Levi is suddenly aware of all the places they are touching; his arm locked around her waist, her back and behind pressed to his chest and hips, their legs bent and tangled. He slowly let's go of her and rolls onto his back.

"You're right. Not a bad way to start the day."

She gives a small chuckle as she sits up and moves to get off the bed, "Maybe one day it'll be the way I spend the whole day."

He can't stop the thought that he wouldn't mind that either.

Their routine is much the same with Mikasa making breakfast, he then leaves for the tea shop while she cleans up. She comes in mid-afternoon with her herbs and takes inventory of her sowing for the next day. They spend the last couple hours of the work day serving together and then head home. Mikasa makes dinner, he cleans up, and they sit outside with wine after.

"I'm going to move into the master bedroom." Mikasa tells him.

"Okay."

"If we're going to live here it's the most convenient room; it's spacious, has a closet, bigger bed, and an attached bathroom. Not to mention it's farther from the stairs so if someone is in the kitchen early the sound shouldn't carry into the bedroom." She explains.

Was it just him or was she making a point for why they should both move into the master bedroom? He must be reading too deeply into her words. So he settled on responding, "That makes sense."

She gave a nod and left. Feeling conflicted, Levi stayed out and finished his wine. When he grew tired he retired to the spare bedroom he'd been sleeping in the last few days, but couldn't find comfort nor peace and ended up tossing and turning most of the night.

Due to being awake at dawn, Levi made their breakfast and got things ready for the day. They fell into an easy routine; Levi made breakfast and after eating left for the shop. Mikasa cleaned up and after left for the garden. She'd come in mid-afternoon with her herbs and spices and take inventory while Levi told her his own opinions of what quantities were needed for the orders he's filling. They'd go home at the end of the day and Mikasa would make dinner and Levi would clean up. After dinner they'd go outside; they would sit on the bench and talk, or spar, or do solitary activities like reading or knitting, but always in the vicinity of each other.

After two weeks, Mikasa finally addresses his non-sleeping issue. He was hoping she would cave with pity first before he had to humiliate himself and ask to share her bed.

She does so on neutral ground, in the back of the shop while working. They're both looking in container stores to measure herb amounts. As they replace the containers to their proper spots she lifts her hand and cups his cheek. She slowly rubs her thumb over the deep indent under his eye, no words are needed to communicate that she is thinking about how little he sleeps.

"The war is over now. There's no need to discipline yourself."

He takes her wrist gently and removes her hand. The rough callouses sliding down his cheek not bothering him in the least.

"Do you know what you're offering?" He asks because he doesn't even know what she's offering, doesn't honestly know what he needs. Doesn't know himself.

But the extent of exactly what she thinks she's offering is never made clear, all she says is, "Of course, I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to." She pulls her wrist out of his grasp and starts to walk back towards the front of the shop. She smirks over her shoulder, "I don't just offer things to be seen as nice. You should now that about me by now, Captain." And she's gone.

"Brat." He mutters as he follows her out.

After dinner they are sitting outside with a blanket over them, Levi is reading and Mikasa is stitching. She yawns and puts her tools down. She gets up and looks down at the man who has yet to take his eyes off of his page.

He thinks she's about to say something about him joining her when apparently she decides she already addressed the issue adequately, because instead she says goodnight and leaves, the same as all the other nights.

But he's there, 30 minutes later standing over her bed in her darkened room awkwardly, as if he was a silent wraith who couldn't remember how to reap.

Finally, he pulls back the covers and gets in bed on the far side she's left empty. He's settling himself as quietly as possible when Mikasa says sleepily, "Goodnight Levi."

He tentatively says, "Is this okay?"

No time passes and she's responding, "Of course."

And he sleeps like the dead.

He wakes up again with her in his arms. Feeling well rested and care free. She's awake, as she always is before him when they wake molded together as such.

And she doesn't snuggle deeper but she doesn't pull away either.

They exhale in unison.


	5. Chapter 5

Casual touches are a thing. During the day she initiates small shoulder squeezes if she passes behind him or the quick hand grab-and-release if she's walking in front of the counter that his hands are resting upon. She'll sometimes lean against his side when working next to each other at the shop. She's even snuggled her cold feet under his outside once. But he's the one who pulls her close at night. He just knows it.

He knows because it has gotten to the point where it's getting harder and harder again for him to fall asleep. And he has this crazy idea that his body doesn't want to wait until he's unconscious to hold her close and wake with her, but rather wants to fall asleep that way now as well. It's preposterous. But he's running out of ideas and he's worried his restlessness keeps her up as well, though she would never complain.

And so, as he gets in bed with her and they settle into the covers, he finally reaches over and, not too fast but not slow either, drags her into the warmth of his body and locks her there with his ridiculously strong arms.

It goes smoothly for a few days.

And then after three nights of pulling her back to his chest and waking with her still there locked in his embrace, he's thrown off when on the fourth morning there's no spine pressed against his chest, but Mikasa's front instead.

He registers many things in the first instant of being awake; that it would appear he has finally woken up before her as she seems to still be asleep, that her head is tucked perfectly in the juncture of his head and shoulder thus her breath is ghosting over his neck in just a way that is so close to a tickle but instead of bringing discomfort shoots pleasure through his body, and that speaking of pleasure, one of her legs is warm in between his two while her other leg is lazily thrown over his hip. It is easily the most intimate he's ever been with a woman.

The second instant of being awake he registers more; his body growing warm, an internal fire that's flickered to life, a want, not completely coherent but completely understood, primal, that his body likes what is happening.

And the third instant is shock, shock so sudden he can't hold back as he gasps and takes in an overly large breath and Mikasa's eyes snap open, instantly alert.

The seconds that proceed seem to be trickling like honey in comparison with how fast everything had hit him the three seconds prior.

She lets out a breath close to his neck, closes her eyes again, and snuggles deeper into him.

Hesitantly, whispering, "Is this o-"

"Shut up Levi."

And as he relaxes, he can't help the feeling of utter contentment washing over him.

He likes his simple life with Mikasa, if enjoyment is still an emotion he feels, he'd say he enjoyed it too. They have a routine and they have a comfort level. And Levi is finding he likes Mikasa. He admires her and her work and her peacefulness that has washed over her with the end of the war. The peacefulness that is seeping out of her and into him as well.

But there's that twitch inside of him. The part that enjoys his body pressed up against her in the mornings. The part that urges him to run his hands through her hair or softly stroke her leg when it's next to his at night.

He can never remember in his whole life wanting to gently touch another human being. He knows what these urges are; has seen mothers hugging their children, teenagers making out on benches, elderly holding hands as they walk, and he knows it's some form of attachment, affection, and strangely attraction.

He wonders if she feels it too. She doesn't pull away from him when he holds her in bed. She initiates contact with him when she feels like it. So, she must not be completely opposed to the idea of finding comfort in him. Or maybe even liking him the way he discovered he likes her.

His growing attraction to her doesn't bother him much as it's overshadowed by the calmness he feels in this new life. But it's there in the back of his head when he wakes up pressed against her, when she places her hand on his upper arm after putting dinner in front of him, when they spar just for fun and she has him pinned beneath her, it's there.

And he wonders when it will grow too strong to ignore.

It grows too strong to ignore a week or so later. Routine is normal, they've just finished breakfast and Levi is on his way to the shop as Mikasa is ready to head out to the garden. They are in the doorway together when Levi gets another one of his sudden urges to touch her, and instead of tempering it down like usual, he gives in to his urge. He reaches his hand up, runs it down the hair in front of her face, tucks it behind her ear, and settles his hand under her ear at the juncture of her jaw and her neck.

He stares too long at his hand, then her eyes. He takes one more moment to enjoy the feeling of his skin on hers before he removes his hand, nods, and walks away.

He only gets three steps before he turns around and walks back towards her where she hasn't moved.

He puts his hand back on her neck where it just was moments before.

"Can I kiss you?"

He can tell his question surprises her, but her shock is brief as it morphs into a small smile and she slowly nods her head under his hand.

Right then. She consented. Right.

Trying hard not to overthink this, he slowly moves her head down towards his as he moves his to meet her.

It's gentle and hesitant and something grows in his wretched heart and it's not nearly long enough but he also doesn't know what he's doing so he retreats. He makes it just far enough to see a shy smile on her face before he feels her arms around his neck pulling him in again.

It's still gentle but she moves her mouth against his in a way that makes his want to move too. So he does. He loses himself to feeling rather than thinking, which to be honest, he's always been better at anyways. Instinct guides him how to move and it's happiness and passion between them. And then it's over and she's pulling away and she leaves him with a, "See you later."

Needless to say, concentration on work is difficult that morning when all Levi is able to do is dissect that kiss.

She comes in same as always and doesn't give any indication away that she's been plagued with the same overthinking conundrum as himself.

He tries to take her cue to put it out of his mind as he works the rest of the day.

She takes his hand on the walk home and holds it in hers the entire way.

After dinner they drink more wine than usual and talk about how inexperienced they both are in the ways of love and intimacy.

She laughs at him because he's 'so old' and never experienced closeness such as this. His ears get red and he mutters 'brat' before she swings herself around and is suddenly straddling is lap and her hands are holding his face.

Humor gone, she tells him that they will just have to learn how to do it together.

And learn they do.

That Ackerman instinct isn't just for fighting apparently as they both are quick learners and adapters at how to be a good lover.

Seamlessly going from gentle to rough, from shy to bold, they are able to find a rhythm perfect to both.

Integrating their enjoyment of physical activity into their routine is surprisingly easy. Yes, the first few days they're insatiable like cadets about to go on their first expedition, but after that, routine falls back into place.

They do what feels right when it feels right. If he wants to hold her hand, he does. If she wants to kiss him when they wake, she does. And yes, there is even a day they keep the shop closed and stay in bed the whole damn day.

And Levi is content. Happy even. He has never had a home the way he has in Mikasa.

He once asked her if she thought they loved each other.

"I honestly do not know. But I know I completely understand you." A pause. Her smile, "And that feels pretty amazing."

He wasn't let down because he felt like he understood her too. And she was right, it felt pretty amazing.


End file.
